The Virtual trail of Sir Kenelm Digby

The report

Sir Kenelm Digby 1603 - 1665

• A 17th century philosopher, scientist, naval commander, alchemist, gourmet, diplomat and - probably - spy.
  
  
• He was the son of Sir Everard Digby, who was hanged, drawn and quartered for his involvement in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605; and husband of the beautiful and scandalous Lady Venetia Stanley.
  
  
• A diplomat in the service of Charles I, he also tried his hand at privateering, winning a notable victory over some French and Venetian ships at Iskanderun in Turkey in 1628.
  
  
• He was briefly imprisoned in 1642 because of his close association with the royal family and catholicism.
  
  
• Apart from a short spell as an Anglican in the 1630s he was a catholic, and from 1639 to 1654 lived mostly in exile in France, where he published his Two Treatises on the Nature of Bodies and the Immortality of Reasonable Souls, much influenced by the radical new theories of Descartes.
  
  
• In 1654 he entered the service of the Commonwealth, possibly as a spy.
  
  
• Well known for his studies in botany, biology and physics, he was a founder member of the Royal Society set up in 1660. But he was also interested in alchemy, dabbling in bizarre potions such as a magical Powder of Sympathy which healed wounds remotely, and a viper wine which supposedly preserved beauty.
  
  
• He is credited with the invention of the modern wine bottle by discovering a method for making standardised glass bottles (clearly a subject close to his heart!).
  
  

Today Sir Kenelm is probably best known for the recipes of The Closet Opened. To see another of his recipes and discover more about mediaeval and early modern cuisine, have a look at these recipes from the Gunpowder Plot Electronic Classroom website.

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